I’m a bit disappointed to not get a single Christmas card in my mailbox, but I’ll use the questions below to make predictions for next year, so strap in.
@NoLayingUp Who wins the 4 majors this year?
— David Kateeb (@DKateeb) December 1, 2015
As I was able to correctly predict all four winners for the 2015 majors, it’s my duty to take a crack at the 2016 champions.
DJ’s caddie is gonna need to wear this in 2016
Masters – Jordan Spieth – A solo second finish in 2014 and a record setting win in 2015. It can’t be a coincidence. They’re going to have to Spieth proof this place, and the only way they’re going to be able to do that is to put a limit on the allowable weight of a player’s stones. Considering the USGA’s apathy towards dialing back the balls, I think we’re safe here.
U.S. Open – Dustin Johnson – The breakthrough will finally come in 2016. In January, he’s going to cause an international upheaval by bombing ISIS all the way from Hawaii (attacking from the East, where they least expect it). Then he lifts his first major championship trophy in June at Oakmont. As Tron says, an absolute bomb threat.
British Open – Rory McIlroy – He should have won it this year, and I haven’t forgiven him for it. He’ll make it up to me in July.
PGA Championship – Brooks Koepka – You know I had to, right?
Bonus: Gold Medal -Jordan Spieth – I know next to nothing about the course other than it is has been an absolute disaster in the construction phase, but Spieth seems like the kind of guy that would be really motivated for this thing.
@NoLayingUp Will Ted Scott finally come to his senses and part ways with bubba in 2016?
— Casey Milewsky (@CaseyMilewsky) December 1, 2015
At this point, the only feasible explanation is that Ted’s got an advanced case of Stockholm Syndrome (we’ll call it “Watson Wickedness”). It’s capture bonding at its best. He’s in deep, and now he’s an enabler to Gerry’s antics. The Himmler to Bubba’s Hitler. He seems to be very content with his life, and I can only hope that it was our prayers that made this difference.
On a more serious note, the financial rewards for putting up with Bubba’s shit would probably make it worthwhile. I’m a man of principal, but I’d sell out in a heartbeat if it meant making $100k to carry Bubba’s golf bag and other excess baggage around the Bahamas for a week. Who knows, maybe his shtick is a lot more tolerable if taken in the proper context, and if you actually know him? Don’t roll your eyes at me, I’m trying to be reasonable here. Or…. wait a second…. I’m starting to feel it…… wait…… do I??? No…… do i…. do I have Watson Wickedness!?!? Let’s move on.
@NoLayingUp with Dechambeau's recent australian success, do you see him being the next young star?
— Zack (@zkupper_bsg) December 1, 2015
I would like to think so, but I haven’t made up my mind on the guy yet. There’s no doubt that he’s a talented stick, but I kind of agree with Big Randy here as well:
@Wrong_Fairway it's early but I shelve Bryson's variety of FIGJAMness with 'Off-Putting' works instead of 'Endearing/Entertaining.'
— Big Randy (@BigRandyNLU) November 13, 2015
He seems to be trying really, really hard to make himself stand out with the dumb hat, and the emphasis he puts on the weird things he does (which includes soaking his Pro V’s in epsom salt). I tend to like guys that are cut from a different cloth, but then again, you can also say that guys like Poulter and Bubba fall into this “different” category. As @PFTcommenter would say, it goes both ways.
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From a golf perspective, the guy has dominated at every level he’s been at. There are many that have doubted his unorthodox swing pretty much every step along the way, and that won’t stop until he’s proven himself on the PGA Tour. It’s been well documented that he plays with a set of irons that are all the exact same length, and I think questions about how that will effect him on the PGA Tour circuit are fair. I’m for sure not saying he can’t excel with his unorthodox approach, but I’m in the camp that I’m going to need to see it before I really start to believe it.
In the same breath, people shouldn’t rush to judge him (for better or for worse) until he’s been given the proper amount of time to develop, but I get the feeling that people are going to overreact in either direction like they always do. So in summary, I do think he will be very successful, but I’m not going full fanboy crush just yet.
@NoLayingUp How would an all 27-&-under US side fare at the Ryder Cup and who would make the team?
— Dillon Friday (@noclassfriday) December 1, 2015
This is a fun one. As an alternative half-baked idea that totally would never happen, I’ve floated the thought that the Presidents Cup should entertain an idea like this, but I would love if they had a similar U-27 or U-25 Ryder Cup event that went opposite the Presidents Cup that no one watches anyways. But to answer Dillon’s question, here’s what my 12 man team would look like as of today:
- Spieth
- Rickie
- Koepka
- Thomas
- Reed
- Berger
- Henley
- Finau
- Rodgers
- English
- Schniederjans
- Hoffmann
I didn’t put a ton of thought into that, and there’s a solid chance that I have a glaring omission, but I would feel pretty good with those 12 going up against any other group of 12 International or European players.
That being said, when I started making the list, I expected it to be chalked full of more top 50 OWGR players than it is. It’s pretty clear that the top 5 on that list have distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack, but I don’t know why I thought that group of five would be bigger. It may be because those five have had such a profound effect on the current state of the game. Regardless, the future of American golf is so bright you gotta wear Justin Rose style shades that cover most of your forehead and the bottom half of your cheekbones.
@NoLayingUp Biggest surprise to make each 2016 Ryder Cup team?
— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) December 1, 2015
I think the the US team is actually pretty easy to predict at this point, and I don’t see a big surprise or sleeper on the horizon. Chris Riley, Brett Wetterich, Vaughn Taylor, and J.J. Henry are not walking through that door.
I know you want me to say Robert Streb here, but I’m not giving in. I made my Ryder Cup picks in October, and the only thing I would change there is to sub out Tony Finau, and sub in Kevin Kisner. I’m not sure he really qualifies as a surprise, but he’s the closest thing to it. I know his win this fall doesn’t count towards the standings, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t have another huge 2016 like he did in 2015. He’s not a headline maker, so he probably doesn’t get the attention that he deserves, but this may change this year.
On the European side, it’s an absolute crapshoot at this po